Film Studies 235 - COLQ: LISTENING TO CINEMA
Fall
2015
01
4.00
Andrew Ritchey
MW 01:10-02:30; W 07:30-09:30
Smith College
20985-F15
SEELYE 201; SEELYE 312
aritchey@smith.edu
This course explores various aspects of film sound from both a theoretical and a historical perspective. Emphasis is placed on the development of critical listening skills through regular exercises in close listening and audio-visual analysis. Topics addressed include the history of sound technology; the aesthetics and politics of sound design; the voice in cinema; and film music. While the historical scope of the course ranges from the "silent" era to the present, two salient turning points are the subject of focused attention: the introduction of synchronous sound film in the 1920s and the development of digital surround sound in the 1990s. Enrollment limit of 25. (E)